Spring is here, and it’s time for a new career.
Maybe you’re between roles, you’ve been made redundant, you’re not getting on with your boss, your employer hasn’t treated you well, you want to work more flexibly, would like a job share, to get paid more, or perhaps you’re thinking about a career transition and want to know what’s out there.
Whatever your motivation, remember, you can LOVE your WORK and have a LIFE; they’re not mutually exclusive. Work and life are inextricably linked; they go hand-in-hand, and we are experts at helping you navigate to that ideal destination.
DISCOVER who you are and where you are
You need to dig deep and gather some insights. When you understand what makes you tick, your superpowers, knowledge and expertise, transferable skills, and values, it helps you articulate what you bring to the work party and how you explain your competitive edge. You examine where you have liked working historically and where you haven’t. Write down your ten most significant achievements in and out of work; notice any similarities? Ask others where they have seen you at your best and what they think your strengths are. When you complete your BRAND YOU COMPASS you’ll feel much more in control and understand what is on career brand and what isn’t.
We are experts in brand marketing, resourcing and job search; that’s a powerful combination to have in your corner when working on realising your potential and creating your unique brand.
EXPLORE the work landscape
Once you understand YOU, it is easier to decide where you are heading, and once you know where you are heading, it’s much easier to get there. You don’t need to become overwhelmed and explore the whole employment landscape, you can focus on a small slice. Know where you would like to work, where you can make a difference, and think about where you can add most value. You might even realise that you are in the right place by tweaking your mindset and flexibility after all.
Careers aren’t linear, they are often a random series of experiments and move in a zig zag fashion. We have the ability to see a great fit and work opportunity, even if it is not immediately apparent to anyone else, we know the tech and cyber landscape and often they’re looking for people with great transferrable skills and not qualifications or previous work experience. We don’t just look at traditional career options but will explore other opportunities you may not have yet thought about, such as flexible working, freelance, job share, apprenticeships and more.
COMMUNICATE Brand You
Create your compelling LinkedIn profile and an extraordinary CV to get you an interview using BRAND YOU. You need to think about your target audience, your key messages, tailor each application to the specific role and captivate them. Get some visibility to showcase your capability, and you’ll get findability too. And remember you can write yourself into a role too. And we’ll use AI too, it really helps with some of the communications but remember, the greatest CV and LinkedIn profile will be harnessing your work and finessing it with AI.
With approximately 40 years of experience and placement of upwards of 1000, we know what employers want to see when they are looking for new talent. We know what works, how to increase visibility and bring employers knocking at your door.
CONNECT with your network
Your network includes head-hunters, recruiters, ex-colleagues, people at the school gate, the local gym, your local netball or football team and potential employers make sure they know you are available for work if that’s the case. We’ll help you work your network. Interview practice can perfect your performance and help you land the role, and we’ll make sure you’ve honed your interview skills. There will be a timeline and tools, and tips to help you manage your mindset and build resilience during this challenging journey. We can hold your hand as much as you need.
Careers don’t go in a straight line; we understand how your mindset is effected when your life is out of balance. We have been through the journey to finding a role that gives you the life you LOVE, and our passion lies in helping others do the same. We have an online programme that runs alongside our face-to-face work and a free Be Inspired Get Hired platform too with over 300 members, so you’ll be in a job search community.
If you are between roles at the moment, it might be a good time to upskill or reskill alongside your job search. There are many FREE online courses currently, and you can gain certification. Check out LinkedIn Learning or Google Digital Garage, and here is a list of many free courses
Think about industries where there will be jobs in the future, such as cybersecurity, healthcare, tech, construction and property. On our doorstep, we have Gloucestershire College and The University of Gloucestershire, providing many amazing apprenticeships and free online learning too. You can also think about companies further afield because with remote working being a reality in 2024, the world of work is your oyster.
If you’d like a copy of my 5 Shhhhhhh Secrets To Getting Hired, write YES in the comments and also let me know if you’d like to be part of our job search community.
Further Info
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Sarah started her career in fmcg marketing working as a brand manager on Clover and as an interim manager on Clover (twice) and Quorn. She founded a start-up interim management company in Gloucestershire and that business changed the percentage of women and diverse talent in senior marketing and HR roles. Sarah specialises in attracting, onboarding, developing, engaging and retaining diverse talent into forward thinking businesses to improve productivity, performance and profit. Flexible working and wellbeing play a large part. Since covid-19 wreaked havoc on the job landscape, Sarah has a created an innovative programme to get senior experienced professionals back into work or fine-tune their current role so that it makes happy.